16 JULY 2016 ISSUE 349
07 SWISS-BELHOTEL ADDS TWO EGYPTIAN PROPERTIES
12 NILE AIR FLIES TO THE UAE FOR THE FIRST TIME
PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT DWC SURGES 79.8 PERCENT
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MARRAKECH JOINS QATAR AIRWAYS NETWORK
MARKET UPDATE
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TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATIONS
USD5.2 TRILLION TO BE SPENT ON 33,000 AIRCRAFT BY 2035
MANAGING EDITOR Mary Kammitsi mary@traveltradeweekly.travel ASSISTANT EDITOR Rita Kasziba JOURNALIST Memnon Arestis CONTRIBUTORS Ana Mladenovic Dominique Christou
Dubai International
SALES & SALES SUPPORT Maria Demetriadou Magda Christou Raluca Apostolescu DESIGN & LAYOUT Elena Stylianou WEB & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Savvas Kammitsis DIRECTORS Andreas Constantinides Mary Kammitsi HEADQUARTERS T.T.W. Travel Trade Weekly LTD P.O. Box 25255, Nicosia 1308 Cyprus Tel: +357 22 021607, Fax: +357 22 103670 WEBSITE www.traveltradeweekly.travel
It is anticipated that over the next 20 years, the air travel market will go through a vast development at an annual average growth rate of 4.5 percent, with the need for over 33,000 new aircraft at an estimated value of USD5.2 trillion.
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EMAILS info@traveltradeweekly.travel sales@traveltradeweekly.travel editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
ccording to Airbus’ Mapping Demand Global Market Forecast 2016-2035, the global aircraft fleet will double from today’s 19,500 to nearly 40,000 airliners, requiring up to one million more pilots and engineers for the operation and maintenance of new aircraft. Interestingly, it is predicted that 62 percent of the global population will reside in cities, indicating an increase in the number of aviation mega cities from 55 to 93 by 2035, thus, the need for larger aircraft.
WORLDWIDE REPRESENTATIVES Representative for North, South & Central America, and the Caribbean: Neil Strickland GlobeTM Tel: +19542969515 neil@globetm.com Representative for Indian subcontinent: Faredoon Kuka RMA Media Tel: +912229253735 kuka@rmamedia.com
QATAR AIRWAYS GROUP TRIPLES OPERATING PROFIT
Representative for UK & Ireland and Scandinavia: David Simpson Simpson Media Tel: +447900885456 david@simpson-media.com
MENA EXCHANGE RATES
as of
2
15.7.2016
COUNTRY
CURRENCY 1USD=
Bahrain (BHD)
Dinar
0.37
Jordan (JOD)
Dinar
0.71
Oman (OMR)
Rial
0.39
Qatar (QAR)
Rial
3.64
Saudi Arabia (SAR)
Riyal
3.75
UAE (AED)
Dirham
3.67
Algeria (DZD)
Dinar
110.42
Egypt (EGP)
Pound
8.88
Iran (IRR)
Rial
30,865.11
Iraq (IQD)
Dinar
1,170.05
Kuwait (KWD)
Dinar
0.30
Lebanon (LBP)
Pound
1,505.49
Libya (LYD)
Dinar
1.39
Morocco (MAD)
Dirham
9.78
Syria (SYP)
Pound
215.95
Tunisia (TND)
Dinar
2.20
Yemen (YER)
Rial
250.10
The fiscal year 2016 saw Qatar Airways Group’s operating profit margin rise 8.6 percent, to QAR3 billion (USD823,75 million), three times higher than in 2015.
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n terms of available seat kilometres, the airline achieved a 28 percent growth rate since its re-launch in 1997. The steady success of the company is attributed to the addition of 13 new routes and the expansion of its overall network to more than 150 destinations on six continents, along with the effective management of Doha’s Hamad International Airport and the growth of Qatar Airways Cargo into the third largest cargo operator internationally. Among the group’s plans for the 2016/2017 fiscal year is the launch of 17 new destinations.
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WEEKLY NEWS
Abu Dhabi Duty Free Launches Online Store
Abu Dhabi Duty Free
An online shop has been introduced by Abu Dhabi Duty Free, allowing passengers to shop on-the-go whether they are arriving, departing or transiting through the UAE capital’s airport.
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he online store offers around 1,000 items, ranging from beauty products, jewellery and a selection of accessories to food options. Regardless of the global decline of the retail market, there has been a seven percent rise in duty free shopping at the Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) which handled more than 23 million passengers in 2015. “With our world-class retail offerings available at the click of a button, we want to give travellers further reasons to choose to fly to, from and via AUH,” stated Daniel Cappell, acting chief commercial officer, Abu Dhabi Airports. AUH currently serves over 101 destinations in 56 countries.
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DMCA Manages Anchoring Operations
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ubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) revealed its continuing efforts in organising anchorage of maritime crafts across Dubai’s waters through the improvement of the organisational processes as well as operational procedures of the places of anchoring. Khamis Weld Gmeel, senior manager, marine traffic operations, DMCA, said, “We continue to organise anchoring operations as part of our commitment to integrate aspects of maritime safety, safe navigation and operational efficiency along the coastline. This is one of the main pillars set towards enhancing the regional and international ship owners and investors’ confidence and to improve the competitiveness of the maritime cluster, which flows into the maritime sector strategy objectives […].”
16 JULY 2016
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WEEKLY NEWS TECHNOLOGY
dnata Acquires Air Dispatch dnata is set to purchase a majority stake in Air Dispatch, the provider of centralised load control planning services that calculate the weight and balance conditions for aircraft prior to flight.
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ir Dispatch is the global market leader in centralised load services to the airline community. This latest acquisition will allow us to further broaden our portfolio to our airline customers and strengthen our position as a leading global air services provider,” said Stewart Angus, divisional senior vice president, International Airport Operations.
El Ajouz Extends Sabre Collaboration
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ebanon-based travel agency El Ajouz Travel has renewed its 10-year exclusive partnership with Sabre Travel Network Middle East, to help pursue its vision to provide more personalised travel experiences. Under the agreement, El Ajouz Travel will continue to benefit from access to the technology provider’s marketplace of more than 420 airlines, 750,000 hotel properties, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car and cruise providers, allowing the company to offer tailor-made travel packages from suppliers all over the world.
Oman Air Teams Up with Skybreathe
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man Air has selected OpenAirlines - Skybreathe to provide its cloudbased fuel efficiency software solution. The tool will offer both predictive and post-flight analysis by fusing a combination of multiple data sources to identify and recognise opportunities for fuel saving and track implementation success. Deployment of the software has already commenced and it is expected to be fully operational by the end of September. Alexandre Feray, CEO, OpenAirlines, said, “The adaptability and customisation features that can be offered to Oman Air as a cloud-based system and advanced opportunity analysis techniques are an ideal fit to meet the airline‘s growing needs.”
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WEEKLY NEWS HOTEL PERFORMANCE
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Accommodation establishments in the Middle East observed mostly positive results in May, according to HotStats’ latest report. Hoteliers in Cairo and Jeddah witnessed encouraging developments, Abu Dhabi, however, experienced a challenging month. Despite Challenges, Cairo Rises Abu Dhabi Hotel Occupancy Drops
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airo hotels witnessed a year-on-year profit per room increase of 33.3 pecent in May, despite the Egyptian city facing ongoing challenges in terms of both business as well as leisure travel. Nevertheless, according to HotStats, the hotel market in the North African capital remains buoyant, with May having delivered a 30.7 percent surge in RevPAR as a result of growth in both occupancy, up 9.5 percentage points, and achieved average room rate which rose 13.9 percent.
Events Boost Demand in Jeddah Abu Dhabi
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espite significantly reducing both overhead and labour costs, hotels in Abu Dhabi were unable to offset the decline in revenue across the major operating departments in May and as a result year-on-year profit per room dropped 6.9 percent. In addition to a 3.7 percent loss in RevPAR, a 11.1 percent decrease in food and beverage and a 25.4 percent fall in conference and banqueting led to a 7.8 percent negative change in total revenue per available room (TrevPAR) at properties in the UAE capital.
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otels in Jeddah recorded a 47.6 percent year-on-year rofit perinroom hotels in Sharm was recorduplift profitatper room in MayElasSheikh a number of key edevents at justenabled USD0.50hoteliers in April,to a 97.9 percent from leverage top decline line performance.the same period in 2015, with year-to date GOPPAR at minus USD2.85, asuch 116.7 slide on 2015 performance of Programmes as percent the FM Expo, Outdoor Design & Build USD17.04. Show and The Hotel Show allowed industry stakeholders to Year-on-year room occupancy for in theoccupancy first four months of record a 10.8 percentage point boost as well as year plummeted 31.2 percentage points,room to just 28.1 perathis 24.5 percent increase in achieved average rate, which cent. This, intoaddition to a 15.8 percent year-on-year contributed a 42.9 percent improvement in RevPAR. drop in ARR,Despite contributed to the 60.1 percent year-to-date fall in RevPAR year-on-year growth in May, year-to-date gross opto USD12.95. erating profit per available room in Jeddah remained 9.8 percent lower than during the corresponding period in 2015.
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
Swiss-Belhotel Adds Two Egyptian Properties
Swiss-Belhotel International Egyptian properties
Continuing its expansion in MENA, Swiss-Belhotel International has signed agreements to manage two more Egyptian projects.
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ue to open in 2019, the development at Katameya, the extension of New Cairo, with two brands, Swiss-Belhotel and Suites Asmarat & Swiss-Belresidences Asmarat, will feature a 250-room fourstar hotel as well as managed residences with 400 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Also slated for a 2019 launch, the second new address at North Coast will operate as Swiss-Belresort Batter Sea & Swiss-Belresidences Batter Sea, offering guests 300 rooms and 1,000 units of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The new investments follow the announcement of Swiss-Belhotel International’s first hotel in Egypt at this year’s Arabian Travel Market, bringing the company’s portfolio in the North African country to three establishments.
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION
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Rezidor to Launch Two Saudi Addresses
Radisson Blu concept
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audi Arabia is set to welcome two new Radisson Blu-branded hotels this year. Radisson Blu Resort Half Moon Bay will offer 158 rooms, suites, chalets and villas, in addition to a beach café, spa and meeting venues, just to name a few of the property’s facilities. The second project, Radisson Blu Hotel, Buraidah will boast 108 rooms and 12 villas, an all-day-dining restaurant, six meeting rooms and a gym. ”Saudi Arabia is a focus country for us, and we now operate and develop 30 hotels with 6,000 rooms in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism industry is set to grow rapidly, and we want to support this promising sector together with our experienced regional partners”, commented Wolfgang Neumann, CEO, The Rezidor Hotel Group.
Marriott Approved to Acquire Starwood
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arriott International has received authorisation from competition authorities in Saudi Arabia and Mexico to proceed with its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in a merger transaction. With these authorisations, the only remaining country in which the two companies will require pre-merger authorisation is China. The entities will continue to cooperate with the Chinese regulatory agency and will be prepared to close the transaction promptly upon receiving approval. Until legal close, the hoteliers will operate as separate and independent entities.
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WEEKLY NEWS ACCOMMODATION Canyon Ranch to Deput in Turkey
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Offers Bike Rentals
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arlson Rezidor Hotel Group has rolled out a pilot programme to offer bike rental stations at select Radisson Blu, Radisson and Country Inns & Suites by Carlson hotels. “We understand that over the past few years, the popularity of bike transportation has skyrocketed. Consumers have a growing need for more exercise, especially when they travel and want to contribute to a greener environment. Bikes provide that and in many cases [are] an easier and certainly more cost effective form of transportation,” said Javier Rosenberg, chief operating officer, Americas, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Avanti bike rentals will be available to guests at participating hotels via stations provided by Spinway, a company that installs and manages self-contained bike rental spots.
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anyon Ranch is to open its first property outside of the US, in Turkey, this month. Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort at Kaplankaya will boast a spa and fitness space of 9,987m2, two unique restaurants serving healthy dishes, and a number of spa treatments personalised to each guest’s needs. The resort will host 141 rooms and suites, in addition to exclusive villas with private pools. Situated on the Aegean Sea, just a short distance from Bodrum, the brand-new property on the Turkish Riviera is hailed as the ultimate destination spa and wellness retreat, ideal for a summer escape from the GCC thanks to its climate and the short flight time from the region.
Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort at Kaplankaya
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WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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MARRAKECH JOINS QATAR AIRWAYS
Network
Marrakech
COMPLEMENTING THE AIRLINE’S EXISTING OPERATIONS BETWEEN DOHA AND CASABLANCA, QATAR AIRWAYS HAS ADDED MARRAKECH TO ITS GLOBAL ROUTE MAP.
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he Gulf carrier now offers three weekly services to the fourth largest city in Morocco on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays via Casablanca, while the return flights fly directly to Doha. “As one of the country’s economic centres there is an immense potential in Marrakech, both in terms of tourist and business travel,” noted Akbar Al Baker, group CEO, Qatar Airways.
Air Arabia Links Sharjah and Batumi
Air France to Serve Oran
Batumi
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ir Arabia has commenced services to Batumi, the second largest city of Georgia, with two weekly flights from Sharjah International Airport. With services now available on Thursdays and Saturdays, travellers can enjoy the seaside resort, filled with culture and deep history. Adel Ali, group CEO, Air Arabia, said, “Batumi is a growing tourism destination and is popular during the summer months. Air Arabia’s new flights to Batumi will allow people and businesses across the Arab region to discover this beautiful city while positively impacting tourism and economic growth.”
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s of July 27, Air France will be offering customers a new service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Oran in Algeria. The European carrier will deploy an Airbus A320 on the route which will be operated three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Travellers flying from the North African city will also benefit from optimised onward connections to the carrier’s entire medium- and long-haul network from Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
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WEEKLY NEWS AIR
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Royal Jordanian Enhances European Presence
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oyal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) has increased its services from Amman to Berlin-Tegel Airport. With the introduction of an extra flight, the airline now flies five times per week to the German capital. The route is being operated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and – as a new addition – on Sundays. The RJ hub, Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, offers connecting flights to many destinations in the Middle East and Asia. Cities such as Dubai, Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur can be easily reached via Amman.
Qatar Airways Upgrades Warsaw Route
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atar Airways celebrated the expansion of its operation from Doha to the Polish capital, as it welcomed a new wide-body Airbus A330 to Warsaw Chopin Airport. The route was previously served by an Airbus A320 aircraft. The move means a 95 percent surge in daily seat capacity. According to Grisha Jenkov, country manager, Eastern Europe, Centre, Qatar Airways, the improved service will not only offer an increase in capacity but will also redefine the in-flight experience of passengers travelling to Doha and beyond.
Warsaw
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WEEKLY NEWS AIR
Nile Air Flies to the UAE for the First Time
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flydubai Partners with Booking.com
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ile Air (NIA) launched four weekly flights between Al Ain International Airport and Cairo International Airport, marking the airline’s first flight to the UAE. According to Mohammed Al Katheeri, acting chief operations officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, the development is set to strengthen tourism ties between the UAE and Egypt, and further enhance Al Ain’s prominence as a growing international tourist destination. The new service is expected to benefit passengers commuting for business and leisure as well as the 100,000 Egyptian nationals residing in the city of Al Ain and its surrounding region, pinpointed Ahmed Aly, CEO, Nile Air. From October onwards two weekly frequencies will be offered.
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lydubai has teamed up with Booking.com, adding a wide range of hotels and other accommodation options to its website. The new platform is powered by Booking.com and is designed to help passengers find the perfect address that best suits their preferences and budget from over 954,000 hotels worldwide. Commenting on the partnership, Ramesh Venkat, chief information officer, flydubai, said, “With this website, we are able to offer our passengers even more options when travelling with flydubai, making it easier for them to organise their holidays or business trips.“
Boeing to use UAE-made Material for 777X
flydubai and GE Aviation Team Up
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oeing is the first client of the newly-established joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company Mubadala, and Belgian chemical and advanced materials expert, Solvay. The aircraft manufacturer will source carbon fiber pre-impregnated material for the construction of the Boeing 777X, to be used for the empennage and floor beams of the jet which is expected to have the world’s largest composite wing. The collective enterprise will be housed in a new facility in Al Ain, which is expected to be functional by 2021. Production of the 777X will commence in 2017, with the first jet set to be unveiled by 2020.
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lydubai and GE Aviation launched one of the first digital customer solutions built on the aircraft engine supplier’s Predix platform. The network operations insights solution is designed to help the low-cost carrier minimise the impact of unavoidable delays, enhance pilot operational understanding, while also optimally protecting schedules and revenue. Jim Daily, vice president, GE Aviation, commented, “This solution gives flydubai the real-time tools to understand the impact of potential operational disruptions in order to minimise an impact on their network.“
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WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to Take On the Caribbean
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our Seasons Hotels and Resorts will assume the management of Viceroy Anguilla resort, which is owned by funds affiliated with Starwood Capital Group. Following the resort’s annual closure between August and October, the property will re-emerge as Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Anguilla. The new address will feature 166 units, including resort guest rooms, whole-ownership beachfront private residences, spacious villas, and vacation rental units. Guest and residents will be able to enjoy a variety of dining options, a 753m2 spa, pools and watersports activities.
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Steigenberger to Enter India
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teigenberger Hotels joined forces with Indian education and hospitality company, MBD Group to bring the German hotelier’s expertise to India. The joint venture aims to open at least 20 addresses across the subcontinent over the next 15 years. The first project of the two entities will be the luxurious MBD Zephyr – a MBD Steigenberger Hotel in Bangalore, and following that, the companies will be looking at potential developments either in green field and brown field stage in gateway cities, as Sonica Malhotra, joint managing director, MBD Group, revealed. The joint venture will primarily function as a management company.
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Q & A with
RENDEZVOUS
MESFIN EYOB CEO, REZGATEWAY
SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 2001, REZGATEWAY HAS GROWN INTO A WORLDWIDE LEADER IN SOFTWARE FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, AND HERE MESFIN EYOB, CEO, REZGATEWAY, REVEALS WHAT IS NEXT FOR THE COMPANY.
TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How have the company and its products changed the way airlines, tour operators, travel inventory distributors and other industry players create, manage, integrate and distribute their inventory? MESFIN EYOB: Rezgateway has revolutionised the airline industry by simplifying the execution of business plans. It not only provides the necessary digital tools but also helps to reduce business operating costs. In traditional business models, agents were required to contact inventory providers individually through email or phone, and acquire the inventory and rates. Rezgateway provides a simple solution by consolidating all the providers through XML as one unified inventory pool. This leads to a significant reduction in cost
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per booking. Additionally, the XML system allows our customers to access the inventory and manage them with ease. Lastly, the system also allows customers the distribution and marketing of the inventory through multiple channels such as mobile, corporate, affiliate, white label, point of sale, and so on. The flexibility and convenience that Rezgateway offers ensure that each customer is able to increase its reach around the globe while adopting to emerging technological advances among many other benefits. TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: How have Rezgateway’s solutions evolved in order to adapt to the changing market needs? MESFIN EYOB: Advanced technological solutions and global accessibility to online content has transformed the way the hospitality industry interacts and conducts business processes. To be truly successful in today’s age of technology, it is essential to be flexible and adaptable to constant changes. Rezgateway solutions are programmed in such manner that they are easily customisable and upgradable to any requirement or market trend. All our clients receive upgrades to the system on a regular basis as part of the service. This allows our clients to have a peace of mind knowing that their inventory and reservations systems are always employing the latest technology allowing them to perform [well] on their competitive field. TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What are the main responsibilities of your Dubai office? MESFIN EYOB: With the headquarters
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in the US, Rezgateway provides worldwide support through of sales and support offices in Las Vegas, Toronto, Dubai, Sydney and Colombo. Our Dubai office is mainly focussed on customer service and marketing. As a technology company, with servers located in data centers and the cloud; all work is browser based; as such there is no need to have a programmer at the customer’s site or geographic location. Even our customers use the system as a service through their browsers. TRAVEL TRADE WEEKLY: What is next for the sector in terms of technology and how is Rezgateway responding to the requirements of tomorrow? MESFIN EYOB: Our main tour operator system is RezPackage, a fully integrated reservation system to create, book, manage, integrate and distribute multiple travel from a single midoffice system. The built-in processes of RezG-Package fully cover the end to end operations of tour operators, travel distributors, destination management companies and travel agencies. With the RezG-Package reservation software, users can manage their direct inventory contracts via a user-friendly mid-office system, easily integrate to third party suppliers for travel content, and sell these inventories via multiple distribution channels […]. Additional improvements have also been successfully implemented with the installation of micro services architecture for RezPackage. […] These improvements give our customers choices; they can only purchase what they need and plug in to whatever system they have. Some of the noteworthy clients that are running the renewed Rezgateway system are Avianca Airlines, PingAn and Oman Air. 16 JULY 2016
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WEEKLY NEWS INTERNATIONAL
Atmosphere Hotels Enters Luxury Segment
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OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo
tmosphere Hotels & Resorts’ flagship lifestyle luxury resort, OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo officially launched in Malé Atoll, in mid-July. The property boasts 41 beachfront and 49 overwater villas, and offers a uniquely exclusive holiday plan, incorporating exotic beverages, underwater dining, spa therapies, diving adventures, water sports and snorkelling trips. OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo’s opening follows the successful debut of Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives in December 2013, and the company’s four-star OBLU by Atmosphere at Helengeli.
Queenstown: A Complete Winter Destination
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Queenstown
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or the first time, Destination Queenstown’s trade team leveraged the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival (AEQWF), inviting key trade partners to experience the four season lake and alpine resort’s winter offering, while enjoying the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest seasonal celebration. The objective was to showcase the Australian state as a complete winter visitor destination with diverse offerings that range from skiing and snowboarding, to the vast range of off-mountain activities that are available throughout the year, while also highlighting the resort’s world-class dining options.
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TRAVEL TALK
PRESIDENT, SWISS-BELHOTEL INTERNATIONAL
“We have believed in the Egyptian hospitality market for many years and are positive about the efforts that the government is putting to uplift tourism there. I am glad to be a part of the development of Ebad El Rahman Real Estate Investment and Development [at Katameya, the extension of New Cairo, and at North Coast] and we are looking forward to expanding our presence in the country and to introducing our unique blend of passion and professionalism in hospitality to this historical destination.”
CEO, STEIGENBERGER HOTELS
CEO, DEYAAR DEVELOPMENT
SAEED AL QATAMI
GAVIN FAULL
We have believed in the Egyptian hospitality market for many years
PUNEET CHHATWAL
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The satisfaction of our guests is […] particularly close to our hearts “We very much appreciate [our guests’] feedback [that earned TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence for 32 hotels in our portfolio]. [...] The satisfaction of our guests is something which is particularly close to our hearts. It is a key indicator of our success. Once again receiving such positive responses shows that we are on the right road. We are proud to have been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and would like to thank all our guests for the trust they have placed in is.”
We are committed to […] make a positive and lasting contribution to society “We are very pleased to announce a second partnership with Dubai Cares [that will see the establishment of a primary school in rural Senegal], and to continue to work with them to improve access to quality education for children around the world. At Deyaar, we are committed to supporting a wide range of corporate social responsibility activities to make a positive and lasting contribution to society, and to support the UAE government’s goal to help local and international communities in need.”
TRAVEL TALK IS YOUR SPACE – this is a casual forum for travel industry professionals to discuss current issues and share stories. We want to hear from you, so send your comments, questions, frustrations and observations to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel
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AGENT CORNER
AGENT’S INSIGHT When and how did you get involved in the tourism industry? We started operating in 2001. What are the most important attributes of a good travel agent/ tour operator? The most important attribute of a good travel agent/tour operator to become successful, [is] to be a friendly local. Make an intensive effort to say hello to your guests, as well as local and international businesses. Stay in contact and build healthy relationships. In particular, you need to wow the guest with what you are offering and give them a good experience. This will fuel a reciprocal word of mouth, which in turn will help to promote what is great about your region, encouraging visitors to experience the best of what is available. It will pay dividends when those visitors return home with well-rounded experiences to share with their friends and colleagues.
POSITION: Chairman COMPANY: Musandam Sea Adventure Travel & Tourism
LOCATION: Khasab, Musandam WEBSITE:
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www.msaoman.com
Meliá Celebrates with 600 Agents
What is the most frequently asked question that your company receives from customers? The most frequent inquiries are about our day tours, such as a full day cruise, dolphin watching or mountain safari, as well as about Khasab Museum, and more. Secondly, they also [enquire] about information related to crossing the border as well as about the driving time range from Dubai to Khasab.
M Anniversary celebrations
What are the must-visits and must-dos in Musandam that no one should miss? Visitors should not miss [a] full day dhow cruise with dolphin watching to Khor Sham, a half day mountain safari to Jebal Harim, a half day trekking to Wadi Ain, a city tour of Khasab, [and an] overnight camping at the beach.
Abdulfattah Rubba Alshehhi
NAME:
eliá PRO, Meliá Hotels International’s travel agent portal has reached its 60th year of existence in July, which was celebrated with an event, held under the theme 60 Years of Cinema at Meliá Barajas, in Madrid. The happening, that was attended by more than 600 travel partners, included an overview of the new features of Meliá PRO that consist of new technologies and unique tools for travel agents, a review of various movies that have influenced the history of cinema, and plenty of other fun activities. Through the collaboration of Avis Rent A Car System and Air Europa, the night was dedicated to the company’s most significant associates, the travel agencies. A 36 percent sales increase was recorded for Meliá PRO in 2015, which now has 125,000 members.
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TRAVEL CHANNELS
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HOSTING IFTAR FOR UAE RED CRESCENT
H Sweet section for the kids
awthorn Suites by Wyndham JBR and Ramada Downtown Dubai celebrated Ramadan traditions with children supported by UAE Red Crescent. The hotels’ teams welcomed the kids
and their guardians, and hosted them for an exclusive Iftar with a dedicated sweets section. A bag of school supplies were also handed to the pupils. Both properties pledged to continue their assistance and cooperation with the organisation throughout the year.
GULF AIR LOOKS OUT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
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s part of Gulf Air’s ongoing mission to be a socially responsible entity, the airline has selected Alfa Express Company for its waste management and recycling drive. The agreement allows the Bahraini carrier to avail of Alfa Express Company’s recycling services to eliminate and dispose of the organisation’s waste papers, plastic bottles, aluminium cans and cardboard. The initiative is in line with the airline’s corporate social responsibility strategy which focusses on active participation in green initiatives, the minimisation of the airline’s impact on the environment and the promotion of sustainability.
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Popular book The Gruffalo regaled little ones at The Dubai Mall
PHOTO ALBUM
Emirates was named airline of the year at the Skytrax Awards
Take a Shot! Share with us the latest images of your activities and let your colleagues know what you have been up to.
Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski Cairo hosted Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk
Send your photos to editorial@traveltradeweekly.travel Because a picture is worth a thousand words...
Costa Cruises' Costa Diadema welcomed on board Pepper, the humanoid robot
Qatar Airways was honoured for the its business class - now hailed as the best in the world - at the annual SkyTrax Awards
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NEWS & EVENTS Oman Air Shines in China
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EVENTS IBTM LATIN AMERICA
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man Air’s participation at Air Cargo China 2016 has been hailed as a great success for the airline. Held in Shanghai between June 01-16, the event brought together airlines, freight forwarders, general sales and service agents and other logistics businesses to seek new opportunities, establish partnerships and renew existing relationships. Mohammed Al Musafir, senior vice president, commercial cargo, Oman Air, commented, “We were able to secure some excellent deals at a regional level by promoting Oman Air’s cargo incentive programme, which will improve our overall cargo load factors going forward.”
Mexico City, Mexico September 07 – 08 www.ibtmlatinamerica.com Leaders, organisers and specialised suppliers for events will convene for business adventures.
SEATRADE CRUISE MED
Etihad Airways backs Education Competition
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tihad Airways will be the official airline sponsor of the 44th WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, one of the largest vocational education and skills excellence events globally. More than 3,000 competitors and industry experts representing up to 75 countries, will attend the show which will take place between October 14 – 17, 2017, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. It is the first time that the competition is held in the Middle East, giving participants the opportunity to experience the very best of Arabian hospitality whilst enjoying state-of-the-art facilities and modern infrastructure, noted Peter Baumgartner, CEO, Etihad Airways. The competition covers a plethora of industries ranging from construction, manufacturing and engineering to creative arts, fashion and social and personal services.
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Tenerife, Spain September 21 – 23 www.seatradecruiseevents.com A major biennial event focussed on the world’s second- largest cruise destination, the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas.
IMEX AMERICA Las Vegas, US October 18 - 20 www.imexamerica.com The hosted buyer programme qualifies and brings key buyers to the show, with IMEX America covering travel and accommodations.
16 JULY 2016